Something Familiar
by M. Rose
Summary: Max's thoughts and a conversation with Original Cindy (post-Freak Nation)


Title: Something Familiar   
Author: M. Rose  
Email: mrv1snap@aol.com  
Distribution: Anywhere, just drop me a note so I can visit.  
Genres: Max/Original Cindy friendship  
Content: Post-ep for "Freak Nation"  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: Freak Nation, slight one for She Ain't Heavy  
Summary: Max's thoughts and a conversation with Original   
Cindy.  
Thanks: To Lenore for kickass beta.  
Disclaimer: All characters who appear in this story belong   
to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee   
Productions and 20th Century Studios. No money is being   
made from the use of these characters.  
Want to read my other stories? Visit my website at   
http://mrosefic.homestead.com  
  
  
  
Something Familiar  
by M. Rose  
  
~*~*~  
  
She entered the building with her usual deft and speed. It   
was easier to travel by night nowadays, but not by much.   
  
Proclaimed as the leader of all Transgenics, her face was   
plastered everywhere. It didn't matter where she went,   
there she was -- stapled on a pole, taped to store front   
window, in the tabloid newspaper, and on the tube. She'd   
half expect to see her mug on a milk carton or something   
equally as tacky.   
  
White's doing, of course.  
  
She wasn't all that surprised by the depths he would go to   
expose her, but then he upped the ante by adding a hefty   
enough bounty for just the right idiot to attempt capture.   
She thought that was a bit melodramatic, even for White,   
but the Ordinaries believed it wholeheartedly.   
  
They thought he was their savior.   
  
He was anything but.   
  
She didn't like being the poster child for the cause, but   
she felt a responsibility to her kind since SHE was the one   
who released them into the world. For a long time she   
fought a constant battle with her conscience on whether she   
did the right thing, but when it came right down to it,   
Logan was right -- they were free and that was better than   
being locked up in that hellhole.   
  
But that freedom came with a price ... lives were lost.   
  
How many more will die before this is over? Will it ever   
be?   
  
They had won their latest bout with White ... at least for   
the time being. And as victorious as that was, she   
couldn't shake the ominous feeling that the worst was yet   
to come. She didn't want to think about the implications   
of what was happening to her. Especially after the strange   
feeling she experienced while in the midst of Logan and   
Mole's heated argument at Jam Pony.   
  
She was changing and all because someone did something   
funky to her DNA.   
  
No. Not just anyone, Sandeman.   
  
If he was one of the good guys as she was led to believe by   
Joshua and C.J., why did he put something inside of her   
only to manifest twenty years later? Any of this Conclave   
stuff couldn't have gone down before she was even aware.   
Unless, there was a timetable set and Sandeman knew exactly   
WHEN all this would go down.   
  
There were too many questions and not enough answers ...   
she didn't like that. She didn't like that at all.   
  
======  
  
She quietly entered the apartment and scanned the scene –-   
it hadn't changed all that much since the last time she was   
here. With her world changing with each passing day, it   
was nice to see some things didn't.   
  
She placed her bag on the counter and headed towards the   
bedroom. She approached the bed and sat on the mattress.   
She nudged the prone figure. "Pssst."  
  
The figure muffled a response and dug back into her pillow.   
  
"Wake up, sleepyhead."  
  
She smiled as her friend became more aware.   
  
"Max? What are you doing here, girl? It's too dangerous   
for you to be here."   
  
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."  
  
"I know that Boo, but I still worry." Original Cindy   
features became serious. "What gives? Somethin' going   
down? You know I've got your back."   
  
She shook her head. "Nope. Just needed something familiar   
for a bit. No matter what was happening in my life, this   
was always home." She couldn't believe she was about to   
leave everything behind just a few days ago. No place   
would have felt as right as this place did. She smiled at   
her friend and punched her lightly on the shoulder.   
"Hangin' out with my girl seems like the thing to do."   
That brought another smile to her friend's face.   
  
As Original Cindy hugged her, she said, "I could've stayed,   
you know."  
  
She pulled away from her friend and looked at her intently.   
"I know, but it's not safe for you. We were built to   
withstand the toxins ... sooner or later you would've   
gotten sick and I don't know what I would do if I lost   
you." After a brief silence, she added, "Besides, I can   
use all the allies I can get on the outside."  
  
"You know it, Boo. We'll get them to understand that   
Transgenics are just like everyone else."  
  
Looking incredulous, she responded, "Will we? I see the   
picketing, the firebombs ... there's so much hate for us   
and it makes me think that we'll never be anything other   
than freaks that need to be put out their misery."  
  
"People will see the true you. I did. Sketchy. Normal.   
Half of Jam Pony, who I might add is on a little covert   
mission to get rid of that mug of yours scattered all over   
the place. No offense, but I'm sick of lookin' at ya."   
  
"Wow. I'm impressed." She remarked, with a slight grin.  
  
"And there's Logan spreadin' the good word." Cindy added,   
"So, have you seen him lately?"   
  
"Not in the flesh, he's been busy getting Eyes Only back   
off the ground and trying to find out more about these   
freakish tattoos that keep popping out of nowhere and then   
disappearing, but we talk a bit here and there."  
  
"What do you think they are?"  
  
"I don't know. A message from Sandeman, I'm guessing.   
Logan said that the marks were bad, like Biblically bad.   
As if it wasn't bad enough being the perfect soldier. Now   
I might be some important key to humanity or something?"   
  
That's just what she needed ... more complication in her   
life.   
  
A long silence passed between them before Original Cindy   
climbed out of the bed and asked, "How about I make some   
coffee?"  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
Passing through the door Cindy remarked, "I've got the good   
stuff too."  
  
Smirking, she turned her head to face the now empty doorway   
and yelled, "Good stuff, huh? How'd you dig up the dough   
for that?" Her smile faded. "Wait a minute. You didn't   
sell off any of my stuff, did you? I haven't been gone   
that long."  
  
From the other room she heard her good friend and sister   
commented, "Now you know Original Cindy didn't just hear   
that."   
  
She grinned as she walked out of the room and towards the   
kitchen.   
  
All she ever wanted was to be left alone and have a normal   
life, well, as normal as it could get for a Transgenic.   
But a nice quiet little life wasn't in the cards for her.   
  
She didn't know what the future would bring -- if   
Ordinaries and Transgenics could ever come to some sort of   
peace. If she would ever find Sandeman and with him, the   
answers she needed. Or if she and Logan could find a way   
to beat this virus bitch and be together.   
  
But she did know that she'd deal with whatever came her   
way.   
  
She had to.   
  
  
~end~  
  
  
Feedback cherished at mrv1snap@aol.com  
  
5.24.02 


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